Boost that fruit and veg in your diet!

You may have noticed that the media went wild for the headline that we now not only need to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, but 10 a day instead. A little deeper look into the headlines actually clarified that the studies, which originated from Imperial College London, suggested that 5 a day is really good, but 10 a day is better because it helps provide an increased protection against diseases and other medical issues.

Here at Crown House Dental in Egham, we don't know whether or not these studies are right or wrong, but we do know that fruit and vegetables do provide many different benefits to your oral health. Still not sure why you should include more fresh fruit and veg in your diet? Perhaps these reasons fruit and veg benefit your oral health will inspire you to add more plant goodness to your daily meals:

Naturally Whitening Your Teeth

You can get cosmetic dentistry to whiten your teeth, but clearly free and natural methods are preferable. Certain fruits like strawberries can naturally whiten your teeth because they contain an enzyme called malic acid. Crushing the strawberries and rubbing them on your teeth is a delicious way to naturally whiten teeth. However, the effect is small so please don't expect too much and don't go too far!

Naturally Cleaning Your Teeth

Lots of different types of fruits and vegetables can help to naturally clean your teeth. Vegetables that are crunchy or stringy, are fabulous for the teeth because they are getting in-between the gaps in the teeth and breaking down debris on the teeth and gums.

Increasing Your Saliva Production

Your saliva does a lot of important jobs in your mouth, including keeping your breath fresh, starting the digestive process and keeping the bacteria in your mouth neutral. Eating fruits and vegetables that are crisp, or crunchy, helps to stimulate your saliva production, which can only benefit your mouth.

Increasing Your Mouth's Ability To Fight Bacteria

Your mouth has a natural ability to fight bad bacteria, but you can make those defences even stronger with vegetables, or in particular, onion. Onion, when it is raw, can actively destroy nasty bacteria in your mouth responsible for gum disease and tooth decay.

Slashing Your Risk Of Getting Oral Cancer

Oral cancer risks come from lots of different factors, but most people don't associate those risks with a lack of fruit and vegetables. Cancer Research UK holds statistics that suggest that a diet very low in fresh fruit and vegetables has found to be linked to over 50% of all oral cancer cases in the UK. Those statistics also suggest that eating more fruit and vegetables can help boost your protection against oral cancers.

Vitamin C Keeps Bleeding Gums At Bay

From successful advertising campaigns, most of us know bleeding gums is an early warning sign for gum disease. There can be lots of reasons for a gum to bleed, but one cause is because nutrition is inadequate. If you don't eat enough vitamin C in your diet, you can be at an increased risk of your gums bleeding. This symptom can then develop into gum disease, which can then progress to advanced periodontitis which causes tooth loss and lots of other nasty symptoms.

Consuming more vitamin C as a gum disease preventative or eating it to try and reverse gum disease (along with appropriate management from your Egham dentist), is a really good idea. Vitamin C is the body's maintenance vitamin and helps to repair your teeth and bones. Oranges, red peppers, sweet potatoes and carrots are great sources of vitamin C.

For Well Rounded Oral Health Care, Speak To Your Egham Dentist

Our Egham dentist is here to help you maintain optimum oral health. Whilst eating more fruit and vegetables is clearly beneficial for your oral health, and overall health, it is also important to practice excellent dental hygiene in order to keep you teeth and gums in great order. Brushing twice a day, using the right toothpaste and toothbrush and visiting your local dentist at least every six months, is a great way to ensure your smile stays healthy and beautiful. Please call us on 01784432641 to book an appointment. We're excited to help keep your smile healthy!